What is Pentecost?
Pentecost is a Greek word that means 50. It is the name of a major festival for the Jewish people that followed 50 days after the day of the Passover observance. It was known in the Old Testament as "the feast of harvest" and "the day of the first fruits". In the New Testament is was known as the day of Pentecost.
This one day festival was a time of rejoicing and bringing a free-will offering to the Lord to commemorate the end of the grain harvest. It recognized God as the giver of the harvest and that the land and the people were holy unto the Lord. All labor was suspended on this day of joy and everyone had a liberal spirit toward the Levite, the stranger, the orphan and the widow.
The day also held additional importance and significance for the Jews. It called to remembrance when they were in bondage and then were delivered from Egypt as a result of the first Passover observance. 50 days later, the Lord appeared on Mt Sinai and gave the Law to Moses. In reality, this day established the "birth" of the Jewish nation because they now had the Law to govern them.
In the New Testament, the Day of Pentecost holds great significance. In reality, this day established the "birth" of the Christian church because it was on that day when Peter preached the very first New Testament message of salvation (Acts 2:38) and about 3,000 souls were saved (Acts 2:40-47).
Note: this was the Day of Pentecost which followed the observance of Passover when Jesus Christ was crucified.
Importance for the New Testament Church
Some significant points about this day should be recognized:
Our Goal
Our goal is to teach, preach and follow
Pentecost is a Greek word that means 50. It is the name of a major festival for the Jewish people that followed 50 days after the day of the Passover observance. It was known in the Old Testament as "the feast of harvest" and "the day of the first fruits". In the New Testament is was known as the day of Pentecost.
This one day festival was a time of rejoicing and bringing a free-will offering to the Lord to commemorate the end of the grain harvest. It recognized God as the giver of the harvest and that the land and the people were holy unto the Lord. All labor was suspended on this day of joy and everyone had a liberal spirit toward the Levite, the stranger, the orphan and the widow.
The day also held additional importance and significance for the Jews. It called to remembrance when they were in bondage and then were delivered from Egypt as a result of the first Passover observance. 50 days later, the Lord appeared on Mt Sinai and gave the Law to Moses. In reality, this day established the "birth" of the Jewish nation because they now had the Law to govern them.
In the New Testament, the Day of Pentecost holds great significance. In reality, this day established the "birth" of the Christian church because it was on that day when Peter preached the very first New Testament message of salvation (Acts 2:38) and about 3,000 souls were saved (Acts 2:40-47).
Note: this was the Day of Pentecost which followed the observance of Passover when Jesus Christ was crucified.
Importance for the New Testament Church
Some significant points about this day should be recognized:
- Jesus commanded his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the "promise" (Acts 1:4)
- He told them they would be baptized (immersed and overwhelmed) by the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:5)
- He told them they would receive (gain, obtain) power (inherent strength that will reside within, miraculous power, moral power, ability, influence, power in action, and that which manifests God's power) after the Holy Ghost came upon them (Acts 1:8)
- The disciples were obedient to Jesus and went to the Upper Room in Jerusalem to wait and pray until the promise came
- When the Day of Pentecost was fully come (Acts 2:1) and the disciples were all with one accord (with one mind, with one passion/purpose) in one place (the Upper Room), then the prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled at 9:00am (Acts 2:15)
- There suddenly came a sound from heaven like the roaring sound of a violent rushing wind (Acts 2:2)
- This sound filled the entire house (Acts 2:2)
- Then they saw what appeared to be flames (tongues) of fire that were cloven (separated, divided) and these flames rested upon each of them (Acts 2:3)
- Then (Acts 2:4) they were all filled with the Holy Ghost (like a sponge is filled with water) and began to speak (to utter articulate sounds, to utter a voice, to speak) with other tongues (other/different languages) as the Spirit (Holy Ghost) gave them utterance (this was a supernatural act/gift of the Spirit of God which caused them to miraculously speak out clearly and appropriately in other languages that they had not learnt - this reminds us of the same type of supernatural act of the Spirit of God at the Tower of Babel - Genesis 11:9)
- Some of the people gathered together that day in Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost heard these disciples speaking in other/different tongues and understood the words being spoken - they were words that declared the wonderful works (mighty acts, great works) of God (Acts 2:11)
- Others in the crowd (Acts 2:13) did not understand what was being spoken and consequently they said the disciples were drunk (mocked, ridiculed, laughed at, joked about, sneered at, accused the disciples of being drunk)
- The apostle Peter and the other eleven apostles heard this ridicule. Peter stood up and with loud voice said (explained, spoke, addressed, preached, declared) this miraculous gift of God was the fulfillment of the promise (prophecy) found in the book of Joel (Joel 2:28-32)
- Peter said this was God pouring out His Spirit upon mankind (Acts 2:17) and then he preached the first New Testament message of salvation, which he concluded by declaring believers would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:14-38)
- Thus, the New Testament Pentecostal Experience is being filled with the Holy Ghost - in other words, the New Testament Pentecostal Experience is being filled with God because John 4:24 tells us "God is a Spirit" - therefore the following titles all refer to the One that is God: Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Truth, etc.)
- This experience (initially evidenced by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance) is the same today as it was on the Day of Pentecost as referenced above in the book of Acts
- This experience is part of the salvation experience (Acts 2:38)
- This experience causes the believer to receive (gain, obtain) power (inherent strength that will reside within, miraculous power, moral power, ability, influence, power in action, and that which manifests God's power)
- This experience is the doorway into: the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12), walking in the Spirit (Romans 8, Galatians 5), being led by the Spirit (Romans 8, Galatians 5), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5, Ephesians 5), and much more
- This experience is essential for the New Testament believer and the New Testament church
Our Goal
Our goal is to teach, preach and follow
- The same Pentecostal Experience as the Original New Testament Church (Acts 2, etc.)
- Share that it is the will of God for every believer